


Indianapolis, IN

by miranda99956



Series: Speight Bingo fics [1]
Category: Kings of Con (Web Series)
Genre: Airplanes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Costumes, Crossdressing, Divorce, Kissing, Language, M/M, Masturbation in Shower, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Rich, Omega Verse, Panic Attacks, RSJ Fandom, Sex, Smut, Talking, alpha Rob
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:56:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miranda99956/pseuds/miranda99956
Summary: When Rob finds out that his divorce is finalized, he calls on his best friend Rich for support. However, something changes in their relationship that night, and they're left trying to figure out what to do. With Rob's insecurities, Rich being, well, Rich, and a convention to add to the mix, that might be harder than it seems.
Relationships: Rob Bennett/Richard Slate
Series: Speight Bingo fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891420
Comments: 79
Kudos: 11
Collections: Rich A/B/O 2020 Collection, Speight Bingo





	1. Pavement Can Caress

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This was written for the 2020 Richard Speight Jr. A/B/O fic challenge. Also counts for Speight bingo! One of these chapters will fill a square on there lol. I'm planning a weekly posting schedule. Enjoy! 
> 
> Thanks to [Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness) for beta reading :) And the amazing moodboard below was made by [WarlockWriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarlockWriter). <3

  


Rob nearly dropped his mail when he saw the envelope from the county. Could it be? He ran back inside his house and tore it open, taking out the paper that was inside. He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding when he read the words that confirmed his suspicions. It was over. He was now officially divorced from Marney. Even though his mating mark had faded long ago, the divorce had taken a lot more time to finalize. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt.

Well, there was one thing he could do to try and help himself through it. He pulled out his phone and dialed Rich.

“Hell-o,” came his cheery greeting.

“Hey Rich. I uh, I got the final divorce decree in the mail just now,” Rob said as he moved to sit on his couch. “I guess I am officially not married now.”

There was a bit of silence before Rich responded. “So it’s done then?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, congrats! You don’t have to worry about it anymore,” Rich said. “You’re free now. An Alpha like you, you can do whatever you want.”

But what did he want? He had been with Marney for so long now... Rob just hummed in response.

“What’s wrong, Robbie?” Rich asked, the concern coming through in his voice.

Rob sighed, leaning back on the couch. “I guess it’s just… It’s a lot to take in, you know? Being unattached now. I’m not sure what to do.”

“I can’t figure that out for you, but I can get you through tonight. Let’s get hammered.”

***

A couple of hours later, Rob found himself walking up to one of LA's nicer, but not too nice, sports bars with Rich at his side.

“Now, just try and forget about things tonight,” Rich said, slinging an arm around Rob’s shoulders. “Get drunk, have fun, relax. There’s nothing holding you back now.”

Rob nodded. Rich was right; he should just have a night to unwind. It was time to move on, and tonight would be the start.

Rich gave Rob’s shoulders a small squeeze, then let him go to enter the bar. Rob followed him in, and as soon as he got inside various greetings were called out at them.

“I may have invited some of the gang,” Rich said with a shrug.

Sue, Serge, Maury, and surprisingly, Matt were sitting at a table and members of the band were nearby at the bar. Rob was shocked, but also a little touched that they had shown up for him. “Aww, thanks guys,” he said as he and Rich walked up to the table and took a seat.

“I’m only here cause Rich said he was paying,” announced Matt.

“I did not, but fine,” said Rich. “First round’s on me.” Everyone at the table cheered, and Rich left to the bar and returned with shots, which they all took at once.

As the party started, Rob realized he was actually having fun. The group talked about the last con, telling funny stories and comparing fan interactions. There always seemed to be a drink in front of him, and while he wasn’t drunk, it was taking the edge off. Maybe this was exactly what he needed.

After a while, though, they went off to do separate things, and Rob moved to sit at the bar with the band. Then people started to walk up to him one by one.

He caught a whiff of lemon, Alpha. “Don’t be a pussy Rob, go out there and get what you want,” said Sue.

That was replaced by cinnamon, Beta. “Dating is like riding a bicycle Robert, you never forget how to do it. You just have to get back on and ride,” said Serge, patting him on the back a couple times.

Then cedar, Beta. “Remember- what would Bernie Kopell do? That should give you the answer,” said Maury.

Coconut and a hint of vanilla. Beta, but part of a mated pair. “I say take a break for a while, enjoy the single life some.” Jason offered him a smile.

Sandalwood, Beta. Matt leaned down close to him. “Don’t fuck it up, Rob.”

That was it- the advice, the smells- it was overwhelming. Rob pushed his stool back and stood up. “I just need to, um, bathroom,” he mumbled, walking away in a hurry. He let himself out of the side entrance of the bar and took a few deep breaths of the cool night air. After he felt himself calm some, he sat down on the curb in front of him.

What was wrong with him? His divorce was final, he was free! This should be a time for him to party with friends and celebrate, not freak out and mope around outside alone.

“You okay?”

Rob looked up to see Rich had joined him while he was lost in his thoughts. “Yeah, it was just getting crowded in there. Wanted some fresh air.”

Rich sat down next to him on the curb , leaving just a few inches between them. Rob caught the familiar scent of him, honey and whiskey, with that hint of something that was just Rich, Omega. It was calming, soothing.

“I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I thought this would help you out, let you forget everything for a while, but it’s not working, huh?”

Rob chuckled. “They all seem determined to keep bringing it up.”

“Everyone thinks they know best,” Rich trailed off and was quiet for a bit. Then he continued. “I know how much divorces fucking suck, okay? If you need anything, or just want me to back off, let me know. I’ll be there. Or won’t.”

If there were anyone that should be giving advice to Rob, it was Rich. He had gone through three divorces of his own. Yet, here he was just offering support. As much as Rich got them in trouble, or was a bit of an asshole, he was always there for him when things got bad.

“Thank you,” Rob said, trying to get his sincerity across. “I appreciate it. Really.”

Rich smiled at him, and Rob couldn’t help it. He held his arms out for a hug, and Rich leaned over and embraced him. They stayed like that for a long moment, Rob drawing comfort from Rich’s scent as it grew almost sweeter. It was hard for him to pull away, but he reluctantly did. The look on Rich’s face made him pause though, as he was staring at him in almost wonder.

“Rich?” he asked hesitatingly.

“You, it’s—” Rich started, barely getting the words out. “Your scent, I’ve never really… There was Marney, then you always used scent blockers.”

That was true, he did start using scent blockers when he separated from Marney. She didn’t want people to smell her scent on him while they weren’t together. The excitement of the day must have caused the blockers to wear off early. Rob supposed there was no point to using them anymore, but he was finding it hard to think as Rich continued.

“It’s you, it’s all _you.”_ He leaned forward slightly and let out an almost pained whisper, “ _Alpha_.”

A low growl escaped Rob’s throat at those words. He was drawn to Rich, his scent calling to him. Rich’s slightly parted lips were so close—

“Rob, Rich! There you are!”

The spell was broken as Rob jerked back from Rich and turned to see Jason in the doorway of the bar.

“Are you all right? We were wondering where you went,” Jason continued.

“Were you really?” asked Rich, annoyance clear in his voice.

“Well, actually no. Everyone is kinda off doing their own thing now. But I wanted to check.”

“Thanks, but we’re good. We’ll be back in a sec.”

With that Jason retreated into the bar, but Rob had hardly heard a word of the conversation. What was he doing? Rich was his best friend! He couldn't jeopardize that. Plus, he literally just found out he was divorced a few hours ago. Rob jumped a bit as Rich nuzzled into the crook of his neck and took a deep breath.

“Now, where were we?”

“I can’t—you, you’re drunk.” Rob said the first excuse that came to mind, yet made no motion to stop him.

“Nah, not really,” Rich mumbled back. He pressed a light kiss against Rob’s neck.

Rob’s instincts were yelling at him to just take the Omega practically throwing himself at him, but he couldn’t. This- this couldn’t happen. “Rich, stop!” Rob said, with more force than he meant.

Rich immediately drew back, actually letting out a small whimper.

“Oh god, I’m sorry, I—” Rob jumped up and backpedaled a couple steps. He hadn’t meant for that to come out as a command. Rich looked up at him with a mixture of hurt and confusion on his face.

“I’m sorry.” Rob could only apologize again as he turned and went back into the bar, leaving Rich outside. He saw that no one inside noticed that he was back, and hurried out the entrance, requesting an Uber to take him home. 


	2. Sounds Better Than Dying in My Seat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rob and Rich ponder things, then have a con to get to. Rich isn't the biggest fan of airplanes though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll keep posting on Wednesdays, cause why not? lol  
> This chapter fills the Speight bingo square 'On a Plane'. Enjoy! :)

By the time Rich had recovered and pried himself off the curb, Rob was long gone. He walked back into the bar in a daze, noticing that mostly everyone had separated off into drunken arguments. It wasn’t until he got back home and was lying in bed that what had happened finally sunk in.

He had almost kissed Rob. But he did smell so good, like caramel and popcorn and  _ Rob.  _ None of his ex-wife was left in his scent, just one hundred percent Alpha Rob. Rich groaned and covered his hands with his face when he remembered what he had done after Jason interrupted them. He had practically presented himself to Rob right there in the alley. Then there was Rob's reaction, which Rich had to admit he probably deserved.

Could he blame the alcohol for what he did? Well, he may have been a little tipsy, but he wasn’t drunk. In fact, he already felt completely sober. He had been in control of his actions then. 

Maybe after what happened in Vegas there was some small part of him that knew he wanted to be with Rob. But he had just gotten divorced! Rich didn’t want it to look like he was just waiting for Rob to become available, because he wasn’t. The timing just happened to line up that way.

He sighed. None of this mattered because Rob didn’t like him like that anyways. Still, it didn’t look like he  _ wasn’t _ into him earlier. This was too confusing! There were two days until he had to see Rob again when they went to the next con together. He would just stay quiet and give them both time to think things over.

***

Rob just made it to his house and closed the door behind him before sliding down to sit on the floor. He grabbed his head in his hands and tried to catch his breath. He had thought for sure after Vegas he had figured out that his feelings for Rich were completely platonic, but now… Was he lying to himself?

Rich was—well, he was who he always went to for advice, who was always there for him when he was in trouble. Someone he could easily talk to, and who he’d known longer than almost anyone else. He trusted Rich completely. Surely he couldn’t risk all of that?

Then Rob thought of Rich’s almost golden eyes, his smile that always lit up his face, that hair that just curled up on the bottom, his scent that he couldn’t get enough of now, it seemed. Maybe it just took the finality of the divorce for him to realize that what he really wanted was right in front him.

But no! Rob slid farther down until he was laying flat on the ground of his entryway. Rich deserved a better Alpha, a  _ real  _ Alpha. Not someone like him, who was on various medications for anxiety, who could get nervous talking to anyone, and could hardly stand up for himself. Rich might have been caught off guard by the newness of his scent, but he would soon see past that and realize that Rob couldn’t be the Alpha he needed. It was best if he never let it get to that point.

Rob took a couple of more minutes to lay on the floor, hating his situation. Then he slowly pushed himself up and made his way to his room to see if he could get any sleep. 

***

The next two days passed by with no communication from Rich. Rob tried to not let panic set in. Maybe Rich didn’t remember that night. Or maybe he wanted to let it blow over. Whatever it was, he would find out soon enough as the car to take him and Rich to the airport was due in five minutes. He got up from where he was waiting on his couch and gathered his bags, taking a deep breath before walking out the front door.

The car had arrived right on time. Rich rolled down the window and waved from the backseat. That seemed like a good sign. Rob dumped his luggage in the trunk and sat in the back with Rich. They exchanged their normal greetings, and the car pulled away.

Everything seemed fine, Rich didn’t look upset or anything. The ride was quiet, but it was a comfortable quiet. Rob decided to assume they were cool, but he still felt tension from everything that was left unsaid. Hopefully that feeling would go away.

They made it to the airport and through security with that same quietness. Finally, when they were sitting waiting to board the plane, Rich spoke up. “Look Robbie, about the other night,” he said hesitantly.

Rob was almost relieved at those words. Almost. “It’s fine, I get it,” he said, trying to end things before they could start. “You drank a little much, I did too. I should apologize to you for snapping like that.”

“Right… Glad you understand," Rich said, and he gave Rob a small smile.

Rob returned the smile. With that conversation behind him, he was finally able to relax. However, as soon as he pulled out a book from his carry-on to start reading, their flight started to board.

“Already?” Rich squeaked. It seemed he finally remembered that they were there to get on a plane.

Rob sighed as he put his book back and stood up, pulling Rich up with him and tugging him towards the boarding area. Rich reluctantly followed behind him. 

They had done this what felt like hundreds of times before- Rob was fully aware of Rich’s fear of flying. If it wasn’t for the scent blockers, he was sure he’d be able to smell his anxiety. He took a moment to appreciate the airline's policy mandating the use of scent blockers. Flying was difficult enough without the addition of unfamiliar scents in the air.

“You’ll be fine, Rich,” Rob said as they shuffled on to the plane. Rich didn’t respond as they made their way to their seats. Thankfully, the flight to Indianapolis wasn’t full, and they were able to have an empty seat between them. Rob sat in the window seat, pulling out his headphones and browsing the movies on the screen in front of him while Rich took the aisle seat. 

A couple of minutes later, the plane started taxiing, and Rich started his usual preflight ritual of muttering to himself under his breath and gripping onto the armrests. Rob ignored him, knowing that Rich was going to do that no matter what he told him. The plane took off smoothly, and Rob started his movie, settling into his seat.

Thirty minutes later, Rob felt the plane shake. He paused the movie just in time to hear a panicked Rich exclaim, “What was that?”

“Just turbulence, completely normal,” Rob answered, trying to calm him.

Just then an announcement came over the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. We will be experiencing some turbulence. I have turned the seatbelt sign back on. Please return to your seats and keep your seatbelts fastened. Thank you.”

Rich groaned. “Oh no, that’s serious shit, Robbie.”

Pulling his headphones off with a sigh, Rob responded, “It’s what they always do Rich.”

“Nuh uh,” Rich said, pointing towards the front of the plane. “That’s code for the plane going down!”

“That’s not—” Rob stopped as the plane suddenly fell for a couple of seconds. Rich and a couple of other passengers let out a scream. Even Rob was somewhat shaken; he had never really felt anything like that. Still, he found there was no reason to worry.

“I don’t want to die on this fucking plane!” Rich wailed, turning towards Rob.

“You’re not going to die,” Rob assured. Then the plane shook again. It felt like normal turbulence to Rob, but he heard a whine from Rich and looked closer at him.

Rich was breathing hard, almost hyperventilating, and Rob could see sweat gathering on his forehead. His hands were once again gripped tight to the armrests.

“Fuck,” Rob muttered to himself. He debated for a couple of seconds, then decided he had to do something. He struggled with his seatbelt a bit before unclasping it and moving over to the middle seat, putting on that seatbelt. From there, Rob could smell Rich through the scent blockers, a strong alcohol smell with none of the sweetness left, and he frowned.

Rob wasn’t sure what to do as Rich’s condition didn’t improve any. Usually he was the one freaking out, not Rich! The plane shook again, and Rich started to tremble. Rob decided to just go with his gut response.

“It’s okay,” Rob started, turning and reaching out to grasp Rich’s shoulders. “Just turbulence, happens all the time.”

“No, we’re gonna die. Plane's crashing,” he gasped out.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Rob pulled Rich's hands off the armrests. Then he tugged Rich towards him, placing his head against his chest, and tried to make his scent calming- if anything was getting through the blockers.

“Rich, breathe. We aren’t dying,” Rob said softly, wrapping his arms around him. He started to rub small circles into Rich's back, and felt his tremors calm. “In, and out. In. Out.” Rich struggled a bit at first, but eventually his breathing matched Rob’s instructions.

“Good, just like that,” Rob said, and he felt Rich’s arms move to hold on to him. “You okay?”

“Y-yeah,” Rich answered, his voice barely above a whisper, but he stayed right where he was.

Rob didn’t mind. He kept up his actions as the plane bounced a couple more times, but Rich barely reacted. Eventually, his scent returned to normal, and Rob knew he would be fine.

The seatbelt sign turned off with a ding, and it was over. Rob looked down to see that Rich had fallen asleep. He shook his head and chuckled lightly at his light snoring. Rich was kind of adorable like that. Rob gently positioned him so that his head was leaning on his shoulder, and leaned back into his seat. Soon, he found himself drifting away as well.


	3. You Drive Me Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rob and Rich arrive at the con! Karaoke holds a surprise for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this is some fun for y'all ❤️❤️❤️

“-ch. Rich.”

Rich slowly woke up to Rob’s voice, keeping his eyes shut. He was having an amazing dream, where he and Rob were snuggled together on his couch watching Netflix. He grumbled and tried to go back to that.

“Rich, get up. The plane landed.”

What? He was on a plane? He never slept through flights though. As his brain finally started to wake up, he remembered where he was—and what had happened. His eyes shot open and he realized that he had been sleeping against Rob’s shoulder. “Oh god Rob. I uhhh,” he said, hastily sitting up.

“It got bumpy there, other people were scared too. Even I got a bit nervous. It’s fine,” Rob said, a soft smile on his face.

Rich vaguely remembered how Rob had held him during the flight and calmed him down. Also, there was that very faint smell of caramel that seemed to ground him. He felt his face grow a little hot. “Well thank you, really,” he responded, starting to stand as the plane emptied. “I’ve uh, never felt this good after a flight.”

“Yeah, a not grumpy Rich is a nice change of pace.” Rob stood up and followed him out to the aisle.

“Ha ha,” was all Rich could say in reply. God, he had acted like such a stereotypical Omega, losing it like that on the plane. But the way Rob had reacted… 

When they had left for the airport earlier, Rich had given Rob as much time as he could to bring up what had happened at the bar, but eventually he couldn't take it anymore and had to speak up. After hearing his response, he was sure that it was over, that Rob had no feelings for him. But was what he just did something that a really good friend would do? Rich let out a small frustrated sigh as they exited the plane and traveled down the bridge to the airport. This was going to be a long weekend.

***

Rob trudged into his hotel room and threw his suitcase on the king-size bed with a grunt, then flopped down next to it. Rich was just a few doors down the hall in his own room. Rich, who he couldn’t stop thinking about all on the way to the hotel and through their quick dinner. About how right it felt with him sleeping on his shoulder on the plane. He shook his head. This was no good; he would just have to focus on the con.

After a mostly restless night of sleep, Rob went to face the first day. He was surprised to find that everything seemed back to normal. Well, maybe he was a little awkward around Rich, but no one noticed or cared. His panel went by the same as usual, and autographs went well, even with Rich sitting at the table next to him. If he could only go back to how he felt before...

Finally, the time for karaoke came and Rob went into the green room to see Osric, Sue, and Matt gathered around a table. “Hey guys, what’s going on?”

“The higher-ups sent costumes for us to wear for karaoke,” answered Osric, not looking up from his phone. “Apparently they want us to follow a theme now.”

Rob was cautiously optimistic. “Okay, so what’s this theme?”

“It’s that new medieval times show,” answered Sue. She held up what appeared to be a set of robes. “They want me to be a wizard or something.”

“I’m the handsome prince, of course,” said Matt, a pile of black fabric in front of him.

Osric held up a light pink dress. “Princess.”

The doors opened and Rich walked in wearing a green tunic and tan pants, along with a small crown on his head. “Look Bob-o, I’m the King!”

“That’s, uh, great, Rich.” There was something about that outfit and the plastic crown that sat on his head that made him look, well, _regal_ , but Rob pushed that thought to the back of his mind and moved closer to the table. “And for me there’s…” Knowing his luck, he would probably end up being the jester or something stupid like that. But the piece of clothing left on the table was a flowing blue dress. “This- this can’t be right.”

“No, look. It has your name on it,” said Osric, pointing at the dress.

Sure enough, Rob looked closer to see a sticky note stuck on the dress with ‘ROB BENNETT’ written across it. “Uh, Sue,” he said, his voice growing higher. “Are you sure our costumes didn’t get mixed up?”

“Oh please,” said Sue, walking away from the table with her robes. “They picked it to match your eyes. Now, I’m gonna go change.” With that, she left the room, and Osric and Matt followed.

Rob turned to Rich, who actually had a sympathetic look on his face. “I can’t.”

“That looks like the Queen’s dress to me, Robbie’” he said with a shrug. “High position.”

“It’s a _dress_!”

“Osric got a dress too!” Rich said almost defensively.

Rob sighed. He had to admit that was true, but still, Osric was a Beta.

“Look, just go try it on,” Rich continued. “You might feel better about it then.”

“Fine.” Rob supposed there was no harm in trying it on. But if he didn’t like it, he would refuse to wear it, the higher-ups be damned. He left Rich behind in the green room to go change.

***

Rich sat down at a table, waiting for Rob and the others to get back. He didn’t dare admit that he mostly wanted to see Rob in that dress for selfish reasons. No, he would say that he wanted Rob to match the rest of the theme, for the fans to enjoy. Not that he wanted to see Robbie showing off his arms and chest, in a dress where he could sit him down and slip his hand underneath the skirt and slide it up his leg and- Rich shifted in his seat and shook his head. This had to stop! Besides, he hadn’t even seen Rob in the dress yet. Maybe it wouldn’t look good on him.

Rich waited for a few minutes, trying to think about anything else. Sue came back into the room first, followed by Matt. Sue did make for a pretty badass wizard, and Matt was, of course, almost infuriatingly attractive in his costume. They seemed completely at ease in their outfits, sitting down at the table next to Rich without a word. 

Then Osric appeared in the doorway, wearing his poofy dress that honestly looked natural on him. 

“I had to help Rob with the dress,” he said, then pulled out his phone and sat at the table with Matt and Sue.

Finally, Rob returned. He slowly walked into the green room, an apprehensive look on his face.

Rich’s mouth dropped open. Rob looked _amazing_ in that dress. It was exactly as he imagined it, just a small strap that went around his neck holding it up, brilliantly showing off Rob’s arms, and the stunning blue color _did_ match his eyes _._ Well, maybe it didn’t fit his waist the best, and he could do without the slightly cheap looking blond wig, but _fuck_.

“That bad, huh?” Rob said as he shuffled over to Rich’s table.

Rich managed to snap his mouth shut. “No, uhh.” He cleared his throat. “It could be worse.”

Rob fell into the chair next to Rich and crossed his arms with a huff. “I knew it, I should go change. No Alpha should wear something like this. Marney would-”

“Whoah, whoah, hold up there!” Rich cut him off. “Marney? What does she have to do with this? Last I checked, she was gone from your life.”

“Oh, yeah,” Rob said with a frown. “I’m still getting used to that I guess.”

“And that Alpha bullshit,” Rich continued, on a roll now. “You can wear whatever the fuck you want, no matter what you are. How do _you_ feel about the dress?”

Rob looked taken aback. “Well, I uh, I guess it’s comfortable. It feels kinda nice.”

“Right,” Rich said. “And you know the most important thing? The fans will love it!”

Rob seemed to be gaining confidence as he nodded. “Yeah.”

Handler Beth then walked into the room. “We’re on in five people, let’s move.”

They all stood up and headed to the door, but Rob stayed back. “I don’t know Rich...”

“You look great, Rob. And I promise the fans will go crazy, they always do for Osric.” He gripped one of Rob’s shoulders, then almost immediately let it go when he realized he was touching bare skin. Instead, he pointed toward the door. “Now, go give the people what they paid for!” 

Rob furrowed his brows. “But, karaoke is free, they didn’t-”

“Just get out there!” 

Rob hurried out the door and Rich followed, and they caught up to the others.

***

Rob was unsure about wearing the dress. If Marney had seen him in it, she would have gone crazy, telling him that no Alpha would be caught dead wearing that. But Rich was right, they were divorced, and she had no more influence over him. 

Also, the dress was kind of freeing, and he supposed he looked okay in it. Rich’s reaction was… not bad, at least? And the others said nothing about it. The crowd was definitely into it though, as they were one of the most energetic Rob had ever seen. As the night went on, Rob found himself enjoying karaoke more than he ever had before.

Afterwards, everyone went their separate ways, and Rob caught up to Rich to walk back to their hotel rooms. With his head still buzzing from the show, he said, “That was awesome, Rich! I’m glad you talked me into it.”

“Mhm,” was all Rich replied with, not even looking at him.

Rob frowned. “What is it?”

Rich suddenly stopped and grabbed Rob’s arm, pulling him into an empty side hallway. Rob was caught off guard and let himself be tugged along.

“You,” Rich said as he stepped closer to Rob.

Confused, Rob tried to take a step back and found that he was against the wall. Rich was just inches away from him. “Me?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Rob,” Rich replied, his voice growing desperate. “The way you were out there, all smiling and happy, laughing, making sure everyone was having a good time. And that _dress_!” He paused, taking in a breath before continuing. “All during karaoke I couldn’t take my eyes off you. What you do to me, I can’t- it’s driving me insane!”

“I...” Rob wasn’t sure what to say; he felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He was having trouble thinking with Rich so close, his eyes staring almost pleadingly at him, the sweet honey-whiskey, _Omega,_ scent drawing him in again. All he knew was that found himself wanting _more._

Then the distance between them was gone. Rich’s lips were pressed against his, soft and gentle. To Rob it just felt _right._ It only lasted a few seconds before Rich pulled away. He paused for a moment, and they just stared at each other. Then, almost as if his body was moving on its own, Rob grabbed Rich’s shoulders and pulled him into another kiss. 

Rich let out a noise somewhere between a whine and a moan, and Rob took that opportunity to deepen the kiss, moving his hands to grip Rich's waist. Rich responded by reaching up and pulling at Rob’s wig, letting it fall to the ground before moving that hand to the back of his neck. He shivered and drew Rich closer, groaning at the feeling of his body pressed against his. All of Rob’s thoughts narrowed to Rich- his mouth, his hands, his scent _._

Then the sound of footsteps and laughter came from the hallway. Rich hastily stepped back from Rob, panting and seemingly coming back to his senses. Rob was barely aware of his surroundings. The footsteps came closer, but they couldn’t move away from each other.

“Hey! It’s Rob and Rich!” Two women had stopped in front of their hallway, still dressed up from karaoke. _Betas,_ Rob somehow knew, and a part of him that he hadn't realized had been on guard relaxed. 

“Hi, um, ladies,” Rich managed to say, his voice a little hoarse.

"Didn't you have a wig?" one of them asked Rob. 

"O-oh, yeah." Rob forced his body to move and picked the wig up from the ground and put it back on, his hands only shaking a little.

They asked for a selfie, which Rob used muscle memory to smile through, and then they were gone. Rob's mind was reeling. He needed to leave, before anything more could happen, before he couldn't stop himself. “I uhh, I have to go back to my room now,” he said, sidestepping away.

Rich turned to him and blinked. “Robbie, what-”

“I- I can’t.” Rob shook his head. “I have to... I have to go think.” He quickly walked away, hoping Rich wouldn’t follow him. And he didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those fans totally knew what they walked in on lol. They weren't surprised, but they freaked out about it later. They kept it to themselves though. :) Rob and Rich had no clue XD


	4. He's Running out of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rob and Rich finally talk some. Rich has a slight problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are earning that rating now, folks. Have fun :)

Rich tried to compose himself in the hallway as Rob disappeared from view. He didn’t follow him though, deciding to let him have space. But, god, they- him and Rob- they had kissed! Rob’s scent had been  _ intoxicating, _ really. He would have done anything there in that hallway, even dressed like cheap medieval times actors. But then they had been interrupted. Rob’s scent had turned to panic, and he left him. Again. This time considerably more hot and bothered.

Shaking his head, he started to walk back to his hotel room. He was at a loss as to what the problem was. There was no doubt that Rob was attracted to him; his response had made that clear. Maybe Rob was just nervous; he did tend to get like that. And he did just finalize his divorce. It could be that they were moving too fast for him.

Rich arrived in front of his room and sighed, then unlocked the door and stepped inside. He tore the cheap crown off his head and tossed it to the side of the room. Tomorrow he would have to talk to Rob, find out exactly what was going on in his head. For now, he would get ready for bed. He kicked off his shoes and went into the bathroom, then stripped his clothes off and got in the shower.

He turned the water up hot, filling the room with steam. As he washed his hair, he couldn’t help but think back to his kiss with Rob. How he looked in that dress, the feel of his mouth against his own, their bodies pressed together. Rich found that he was growing hard just thinking about it. He paused his hair washing. Did he really want to…? He debated for about half a second before moving a hand down to grasp his cock.

Rich moaned as he stroked up and down, letting the hot water run over his body. He closed his eyes and thought of Rob in the shower with him, holding him from behind. Rich placed an arm against the shower wall to brace himself as he increased his speed, imagining what Rob’s hand on his cock would feel like.

Then he pictured Rob moving behind him, lining up at his entrance and- Rich groaned as he thrust into his hand. He was so close, but it wasn’t enough. He spread his legs apart and moved his arm from the wall to behind him, pressing two fingers inside himself. He gasped, feeling slick coat his fingers as he pushed them in deeper.

Rich moved his fingers in and out, his hips thrusting back and forth as the pressure built. He only lasted a few seconds more before he came with a grunt, spilling out onto the shower wall. He held himself through it until he was spent, then removed his fingers with a shudder.

That was… a lot. He took a moment to catch his breath. What was with him? He was acting like a horny teenager. Rich cleaned up the mess he'd made and continued with his shower. It was best not to think too much about it. When he finished, he turned the water off and dried himself, leaving the towel on the bathroom floor before heading to bed.

***

Rob was lying flat on his back on top of the hotel bed, wig thrown on the floor somewhere. He had fucked up. It had taken nearly thirty minutes for his heart to stop feeling like it was beating out of his chest, and for his breathing to calm down. He should have never kissed Rich. Leading him on like that… Not to mention how good it was! At that moment he had never wanted it to end. It was going to be so difficult to- to what, exactly? Turn Rich down? Stay away from him? Lie about what he felt?

He felt his eyes tear up. Oh god, was he crying? That was exactly why Rich shouldn’t be with him. No Alpha  _ cried. _ Especially while wearing a fucking dress! But… He rolled over and buried his face in his pillow and just let the tears out.

Eventually, he sat up and wiped at his eyes. He had to admit that after a few minutes of wallowing in his problems, he did feel a little better. He would figure out something, and Rich would have to understand. It wouldn’t work out between them. Right?

Rob crawled out of bed with a sniff and grabbed clothes to change into for the night. He had to solve things by the end of the weekend; he couldn’t continue like this.

***

The next day Rob was busy with pictures, autographs, and panels all separate from Rich. He hardly had a chance to say hello to him, much less have a long, serious conversation.

The fans seemed to notice how tense he was and were a bit more subdued with him than they usually were. They did tell him how great he was at karaoke though, and more than one fan asked if Rich was okay, because he seemed a little off. Rob had to hope he didn’t turn too red when he said that Rich just had an off night, that he should be completely fine now.

It wasn’t until the end of the day when he was done and back in the green room that he finally had some time with Rich.

“We need to talk,” said Rich from where he sat at a table. He had his arms crossed across his chest and an almost tired look on his face.

Rob flinched at those words, but this was what he wanted. “Yes, you’re right Rich. Of course you are,” he said, walking towards him. Thankfully, the room was empty as everyone else had already left for the day.

“Alright, I’m just going to come out and say it.” Rich took a deep breath and stood up from his chair, uncrossing his arms. “I like you, Rob. A lot.”

Rob felt his chest tighten at those words. He had suspected that, but hearing it from Rich himself…

“But you keep giving me mixed signals!” he continued, waving his arms around. “Am I moving too fast? Do you even want this? You just have to let me know.”

“No, it’s not like that. I just,” Rob paused, and any plans about what he was going to say left his head. Instead, he blurted out the truth. “I like you too Rich.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Rich asked, throwing his arms up.

“I- I can’t be who you want me to be. Who you  _ need  _ me to be.”

“What?”

“I’m hardly an Alpha!” Rob held out his hand and started listing things off on his fingers. “Ok, I have anxiety, I- I feel perfectly fine in a dress, hell, Sue scares me! You deserve more than that Rich!” he finished, nearly yelling.

“That doesn’t even make sense!” Rich exclaimed, his voice also increasing in volume. “I seem to remember you taking care of me on the plane.”

“That- that’s different,” Rob stammered. “Anyone could have done that.”

Rich shook his head. “But  _ you did.  _ You were there for me when I needed you. And that’s what matters, not whatever ideas you have of what an Alpha should be.”

“I- you- ugh,” Rob groaned in frustration. Why couldn’t he make him understand?

“Rob, just, calm down. You’re burning,” Rich said with a frown.

That comment caught Rob off guard. “Huh?”

“Your scent, it’s burning. Burnt caramel and popcorn? Not good.”

Rob took a deep breath. Freaking out wouldn’t do any good. But oh, Rich was starting to smell  _ very _ nice, even more so than he had before. Then he saw that Rich was taking off his jacket, which was odd. Rob looked closer and noticed that he had sweat through the front of his shirt and under his arms. “Uh, I know this is a probably a stupid question, but are you okay?” he asked.

“Huh? Yeah. They just need to turn up the AC in here. Now listen,” Rich said before Rob could say anything else. “I’ll give you some time if you need it, but I don’t care about Alpha stereotypes or whatever. I like  _ you  _ Rob.”

Rob could only stare back at him.

“Just think on it, okay?” With that, Rich walked past him and left the room.

Rob sat in a chair and hung his head in his hands, Rich’s words echoing in his mind. That hadn’t gone exactly the way he'd hoped. Though now he understood how Rich must have felt after he kept leaving him. He waited a couple of minutes before heading to his hotel room, knowing he would have a lot to think about.

***

Rich sped through the hotel back to his room. What even was that conversation? Rob said he liked him, but he thought he wasn’t enough of an Alpha to be with him. He swore, unconsciously raising his shirt up to wipe sweat from his forehead. That had to be Marney’s doing! He wished he could find out what exactly she might have said to Rob, but he did say he would give him time. It could wait.

When he made it back inside his hotel room, he immediately took his shirt off. God, he was getting hot, what was going on? He suddenly felt a sense of  _ need  _ run through him. Shit. His heat was starting! That explained everything from the past day, from the way small things would turn him on to how grumpy he was with the fans.

He ran to his suitcase and rummaged through it, throwing things around until he found his bottle of suppressant pills. His heat was supposed to be due in two weeks! He wasn’t even meant to take the suppressants until next Friday! He still had them with him in case of emergencies, though.

Like this apparently was. He swallowed a few pills, a higher dose than was necessarily recommended, and wondered what was happening. He hadn’t even had a heat in years, at least, not since  _ her.  _ What would make it start earlier? He groaned as that need grew stronger. The only thing that had changed was… Rob? Could it be? Just a few days in proximity to an unmated Alpha? But Sue was single too, and nothing ever happened. Was Rob special?

It was getting difficult to think, and his jeans were becoming uncomfortable. He tugged them off along with his underwear, feeling a little relief for his already aching cock. Then he moaned as he felt a wetness trickle down his thighs. This was worse than he remembered.

The suppressants weren’t going to work fast enough. Rob was just a few doors away, but he could try to get through it alone. He whimpered at that thought, the heat nearly growing unbearable. He needed him.

His mind suddenly stopped at that. _ Rob. _ He needed to get to Rob. Nothing else mattered to him now. Rich reached into his suitcase once again and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He quickly threw those on, forgoing any other clothing, and somehow remembered to grab his room key before running out the door to go to Rob's room.


	5. The Big One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rob helps out Rich.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, you know what this is 😉

Rob returned to his hotel room and sat on the bed, turning on the television to flip through the channels. He didn’t take in anything that was on the screen, though, as he was lost in thought. Could he really be enough of an Alpha for Rich? He wasn’t enough for Marney, and she was only a Beta. But Rich seemed to think that it didn’t matter, that Rob himself was all that mattered.

Maybe… maybe that was true. After all, he wasn’t expecting Rich to be some doting Omega that stayed in the kitchen or something. Then it hit him. He may have been holding himself to a huge double standard. Maybe they could try things out- not rushing into mating or anything, of course, but just testing the waters.

Right. Rob nodded and turned off the TV before standing up. He would go tell Rich right now. Then he flopped back down on the bed with a sigh. He would definitely tell Rich tomorrow.

Just then Rob heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it could be, he walked over and slowly pulled the door open. He was hit with a strong wave of Omega scent. Rich’s scent.

“Robbie, I need you.”

Rob couldn’t help the low growl that escaped his throat. Rich stood in the doorway, wearing a plain t-shirt and sweatpants that left nothing to the imagination. He almost looked to be in pain, his face flushed and breaths coming in short, quick pants.

Before anyone could see him, Rob tugged Rich inside the room and shut the door, then immediately took a few steps back from him. His instincts were yelling at him to take Rich right there, knot him, make him his, but he had to hold off _._ “Rich, what the fuck?!”

“My heat came early,” Rich said, his voice tight. “I didn’t take the suppressants in time.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” Rob exclaimed. “You went out like this?” While probably nothing would have happened to Rich, it was still a bad idea for an Omega in heat to walk around in public.

“I didn’t think about it! You were right down the hall!”

Rob groaned, his frustration at Rich quickly turning into frustration at the situation. This wasn’t what he'd planned! Not that he didn’t know what to do, he'd had sex with an Omega before, but with Rich? Everything could change after this.

Rich’s scent was starting to get impossible to ignore. If he stayed any longer… “Can’t you get through it on your own? I can tell the others, make sure you’re okay—”

“I have you to get me through it!” Rich nearly cried, taking a step forward.

Rob was torn. Of course he really wanted to do this; he had been half hard since the second he scented Rich. Plus, he would be helping him out. He knew how tough it was for an Omega to go through a heat alone. But still… Could this be something Rich would come to regret?

As if he could read his mind, Rich said, “I want this. I want _you_.” He took another shaky step towards Rob.

“O- okay. But I uh, I don’t have any condoms-”

“I’m on birth control.” Rich stared at him with pleading eyes. “Please, Rob,” he begged. “My _Alpha."_

It was like a switch was flipped in him. Rob sped forward and grabbed Rich, turning him and pushing him back up against the wall.

Rich gulped and looked at him with wide eyes, his chest heaving. His scent was screaming anticipation, arousal, excitement, _heat._

In his last moment of restraint, Rob leaned in close to him and whispered, “Are you sure?”

“ _Yes_.”

“Fuck,” Rob groaned. “My Omega.” He smashed their lips together, moving his arms to grip Rich’s waist and pull him closer. Rich opened his mouth, letting out a moan, and Rob slipped his tongue inside.

He explored Rich’s mouth, at the same time moving his hands under his shirt and up his chest. Rich whined, and Rob broke the kiss to pull his shirt off over his head. He nibbled on Rich’s ear then kissed down his neck, brushing his teeth over where a mating mark would go.

Rich’s breath hitched and Rob pulled away. There would be none of that tonight. He instead took in a deep breath of Rich’s scent, swearing he could get drunk off it.

“Rob,” Rich breathed, leaning his head back against the wall. “ _Please.”_

Rob responded by reaching a hand down to grip at Rich's cock through his sweatpants, feeling how hard he was. Rich gasped, pushing into his hand.

“Jesus, Rich,” Rob moaned. It was time to stop messing around. He removed his hand and grabbed Rich by the shoulders, ignoring his small whine, then guided him to the bed.

When he felt Rich’s legs hit the end of the bed, he kissed him deeply before moving to take Rich’s sweatpants off. Rich eagerly helped him out, kicking them off to the side.

Rob’s mouth nearly watered as he saw Rich’s large cock standing up towards his stomach. He had gone commando, which was probably a good idea considering the state of the slick-stained sweatpants laying on the floor. He managed to look back at Rich’s face, who was starting at him with some kind of smug frustration, then pushed him down on the bed. He quickly unbuttoned and took off his own shirt, then threw it behind him as Rich scooted back. 

Joining him on the bed, Rob crawled over Rich to kiss him once again, slower this time. Rich responded with needy moans, reaching to grip at Rob’s back. After a few moments, Rob pulled away and moved down Rich’s body. He paused at his cock, not able to resist swallowing it down.

“Shit!” Rich swore, bucking up into Rob’s mouth.

Rob held Rich’s hips down and bobbed up and down on Rich’s cock a couple of times, swirling his tongue around the head before removing his mouth. He had tasted so good- and the sounds he was making! But he could save that for another time. Rob sat up and spread Rich’s legs up and apart, then slowly inserted a finger into him.

“Fuck, Rich, you’re so wet,” Rob said as slick covered his finger, letting it easily slide in. Rich just pushed back, whimpering as his hands grasped at the sheets. Rob added another finger and thrust it in and out a few times.

“Oh God, Rob,” Rich panted, his hair matted back with sweat. “Just _knot me_ already!”

No need to tell him twice. Rob removed his fingers from Rich, drawing a shudder from him. Curious about the taste, he stuck them in his mouth and let out a small moan. Yes, he would definitely have to try eating out Rich eventually.

Rob heard Rich let out a low "fuck" before moving off the bed. He pulled down his pants and underwear, hissing as his neglected cock was finally freed. He tripped a bit when he got his feet out, but thankfully Rich said nothing as he joined him on the bed once again.

“Turn over,” he told Rich, who was staring at him with his mouth hanging slightly open. While he would like to face him, it would be easier that way. And maybe he was a little self-conscious.

Rich obeyed without argument, turning over on slightly shaking arms and legs, and presented himself to Rob.

Rob licked his lips at the sight of Rich’s ass in the air, slick running down his thighs. He reached down and finally gripped his cock, groaning as he stroked it a couple times before getting in position behind Rich. Then he grabbed Rich’s hips and lined up at his entrance.

Even now, Rob had to make sure that Rich was okay. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“YES!” Rich wailed, pushing back at him.

There was no more holding back. Rob growled and thrust into Rich, not stopping until he was seated fully in him. He took a few seconds to just take it in, as Rich let out a low moan. God, he felt so good, hot and wet, and _perfect._

Apparently, Rich didn’t need much time to adjust as he started to impatiently move his hips. Rob responded by pulling out almost all the way and thrusting back in.

Rich groaned and writhed beneath him as Rob continued, setting a fast pace. He leaned over Rich’s back, taking in his scent as a stream of gasps and swears left his mouth. He was so close already, could feel his knot growing.

“Rob, Alpha, ah, _yes,_ I’m _-”_ Rich babbled.

“Fuck, Omega. _Mine_.” Rob was right on the edge, then an urge came over him to mark Rich, claim him, to make him his _forever._ Somehow, he stopped himself with his mouth just over Rich’s shoulder.

“ _Yours,”_ Rich said, his voice breaking.

That brought Rob over as he came inside of Rich with a grunt, his hips stilling and knot swelling as he filled him. Rich followed right after, shouting and spilling onto the bed beneath them, his legs trembling. Rob held onto Rich through his orgasm, his knot locking them together.

When he was able to move again, Rob rolled them over so they lay sideways on the clean side of the bed, Rich letting out a small gasp at the adjustment. He pulled Rich against him, taking a minute so they could both catch their breath.

Finally, Rich spoke. “Holy shit, Rob.”

“Was- was that good?” Rob replied, unsure.

“Good?” Rich chuckled. “That was fucking amazing.”

“Oh.” Rob let out a relieved sigh. “It was fucking amazing for me too.”

Rich just hummed and scooted closer to Rob.

Rob held him a little tighter, placing a light kiss on the back of his neck and trailing fingers over his stomach. “So, how are you feeling?”

“Hm, much better, but it’s not over yet.” He moved his hand to Rob’s, entwining their fingers together.

Rob could definitely live with that. He could still faintly scent that Rich was in heat, and knew it would grow stronger in a few minutes. “Alright, when we’re done here then, I’ll go get us some water and a towel to clean off with. Then we can start round two.”

“Sounds good to me, Bob-o,” Rich said, then paused before continuing. “I think next time I’ll ride you.”

Rob swore his cock twitched at that. “Christ, Rich.” He was gonna be the death of him.

***

Rob woke up Sunday morning with a warmth pressed up against his back, and an arm over his middle. He sighed and moved back, pressing more into the body behind him. Their scent was safe, content, satisfied- Rich. 

Right, Rich. The suppressants must have ended his heat early then. Last night was incredible though. He wasn't sure how long they went before both falling asleep. Rob heard a soft snoring from Rich and gently extracted himself from his hold so he could sit up and look at him.

He smiled. Rich looked so cute with his bedhead; he could get used to that sight in the mornings. Then Rob made a face as he noticed the state of the bed. There was only one sheet left. The rest of the blankets were on the ground in a pile, along with towels. He made a mental note to leave a sizable tip for housekeeping. 

But as Rob fully woke up, and with the haze of Rich’s heat over, he couldn't help but start to worry. His heat… Wait, was that it? Was Rich only interested in him because he needed someone to get through his heat? Was he just the most convenient Alpha he could find? Rob felt his heart drop. Of course, that had to be it. There was no way Rich would want to stick around. He was a fucking idiot.

He couldn’t be there when Rich woke up- he couldn’t face what he might say. Rob got out of the bed, trying his best to not disturb Rich, though after the heat there probably wasn’t much that could wake him up. He quickly gathered clothes then went to the bathroom to clean up a little. Not wanting to chance taking a shower, he wet a hand towel and wiped himself down, then fixed his hair as best as he could and got dressed before leaving the hotel room quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	6. Nothing Good Happens to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich is left to fend for himself while Rob is off being a mess. Then they have a shared panel to get through.

When Rich woke up in the morning he was surprised to see that he was alone. He could still smell Rob’s scent in the air, but the spot next to him on the bed was empty. He sat up and shivered in the cold hotel AC, pulling the bed sheet tight around him. Thank god his heat was over then. Not that he didn’t thoroughly enjoy his night with Rob, but he could do without another surprise heat.

“Rob?” he hoarsely called out. He cleared his throat and yelled his name again louder, but there was still no answer. So he wasn’t in the bathroom... Where had he gone? Rich turned to the nightstand to reach for his phone to call Rob, but it wasn’t there. Right, he had left it in his room.

He thought about using the hotel phone, but he didn’t remember Rob’s number. Then his stomach growled loudly. He was _starving._ Maybe Rob had gone to pick up breakfast? But he could have just ordered room service.

Rich checked the clock, noticing there was an hour and a half left until they were supposed to be at their panel, the first thing for the day. There was still plenty of time. So he waited. He went to the bathroom, stretched some, and got back in bed. And waited. He turned on the TV, watched some house renovation show, and turned it off. Forty-five minutes went by, and he was pissed. Rob had ditched him!

He didn’t want to stay in the room a second longer. Rich jumped out of the bed and realized that he couldn’t go into the hallway naked. Looking around the room, he found the clothes that he had shown up in thrown on the ground and put on the t-shirt. But he could not put those pants back on, even just for the short distance to his room. He did reach into the pocket and was relieved to find that he’d had the sense to take his room key with him the night before.

Rich tossed the pants away, and out of the corner of his eye caught his reflection in the mirror. He looked like Winnie the Pooh! There had to be something he could cover up with. Noting that the sheets were also out of the question, he saw Rob’s suitcase and walked over to it, placing his room key on the hotel room desk. Rob was a little smaller, but it served him right if he stretched out a pair of his pants.

He dug through the suitcase, searching for something that would fit him. Did Rob bring anything besides skinny jeans? (Now was _not_ the time to think of Rob in skinny jeans.) Maybe if there were a pair of boxers, but Rich could only find briefs, which he wouldn’t even try. He finally found a pair of khakis that seemed a little bit bigger than the rest. They would have to do.

The pants fit well at first, both legs going in easily, but then Rich tried to pull them up. They got extremely tight around his thighs, and the crotch area was very snug. Somehow, he shimmied them over his butt, but as much as he struggled, he couldn’t button or zip them up.

Well, he was going to be in the hallway for seconds. He could just pull his shirt down in front and… What was the worst that could happen?

Rich grabbed his room key and headed to the door, barely able to move his legs in the stupid pants. He opened it and peered outside, and seeing the hallway was empty, staggered as quickly as he could towards his room.

He had only made it one room over when a door opened right in front of him and Maury stepped out.

Maury looked Rich over, raising an eyebrow. “Sleep well?”

Rich realized what a sight he must be, with his way too tight pants, shirt pulled down over his crotch, and hair all over the place. “Hey, Maury. This is, um.” He sighed. “This is exactly what it looks like.”

“Don’t have too much fun now,” Maury said with a grin, and he went on his way down the hall.

That could have gone worse. Rich didn’t think too hard on the encounter and hobbled quickly the rest of the way to his room. When he got inside, he immediately peeled off the pants and threw them to the side. Never again.

He placed an order for a full breakfast- make that two full breakfasts- from room service and had enough time to take a quick shower. Then he took scent blockers, making sure no one would be able to smell Rob on him. He was fed and ready with twenty minutes left to spare before his panel. And he was not going to make it easy for Rob.

***

Rob had wandered the halls for a while, trying not to think about what had happened. He had gone to breakfast, only able to stomach some cereal before he began to feel sick. He shouldn’t have left; he probably could have handled whatever Rich would have said. But it was too late for him to go back now. When he felt like he could put it off no longer, he stepped into the green room half an hour before his panel that would be with, of course, Rich.

Sue, Serge, and Chip were already there sitting at a table, and he headed their way.

“Well, someone had a great night,” Serge said when Rob was a couple feet away.

“Uh, what?” Rob replied, confused. How could they know?

“You stink like Rich,” Sue said matter-of-factly.

He’d forgotten to take his scent blockers! “Shit.”

“What, not ready to go public?” Serge asked.

“Well, no. Because er, we’re not really, together…” Rob trailed off, scratching his head.

Sue abruptly pushed her chair back and stood up, walking around the table to get in front of Rob. From there he could smell her sharp lemon Alpha scent, with just a hint of sage underneath.

“What did I tell you, Rob?” she said, jabbing a finger at his chest.

“I- uh, I don’t know. I um,” he stammered, holding up his hands in surrender.

“You know how Rich feels about you! And what, you’re gonna have your fun with a one-night stand and leave him? And he’s an Omega, too!” She leaned closer to his face. “You’re an asshole, Rob, and you’re going to break his fucking heart!”

Rob couldn’t take it anymore. “Shut up! Just shut up, Sue!” He pushed Sue back by her shoulders with a growl. “You don’t know anything about me or Rich!”

Sue raised an eyebrow at him and actually looked surprised.

He glanced at the table to see Serge hastily avert his eyes like he hadn’t been intently watching their argument, and Chip staring at them stunned, nearly afraid. Rob felt all the fight fade out of him and he took a couple of steps back from Sue.

“Just- just stay out of it, okay?” he said softly.

“Fine then,” Sue said, crossing her arms, and returned to her seat.

Rob turned and walked to a table on the other side of the room. He sat and thunked his head down on the table, trying to even out his breathing. What had he done? Sue had managed to get under his skin, and now his mind was all over the place. Was he playing with Rich’s feelings?

“Um, Rob?”

He raised his head up to see Chip standing next to him, an apprehensive look on his face. He had a water in one hand and a bottle of pills in the other.

“You can use my scent blockers if you want. Not a lot of time left before your panel,” Chip said.

“Thank you, Chip.” Rob forced himself to smile and accepted the items. He shook out a pill and gave the bottle back to Chip.

“Don’t mention it," Chip replied, almost relieved.

Rob swallowed the pill and drank some water as Chip returned to where he was sitting. At least he didn’t have to worry anyone else finding out about him and Rich, but how would he get through the panel?

He was torn from his thoughts when the green room door opened, and Rich walked inside. Besides the serious look on his face, he seemed the same as any other day. Rob couldn’t tell what he was feeling.

Rich scanned the room and paused when his eyes met Rob’s. For a second, Rob thought his face almost turned hopeful, but it quickly hardened again.

“We’re on in ten,” Rich said to Rob, his voice flat. Then he turned and left the room.

“Whew, rough,” whistled Serge.

Rob ignored him and gathered himself to follow Rich to the stage. A harried Handler Beth came in the room to walk him there, and they caught up to Rich as he was already backstage. She left them, and Rich said nothing as they grabbed microphones. Was he angry at him? But he thought… Whatever, he would focus on getting through the panel first.

The host introduced them, and Rob took a deep breath and followed Rich out onto the stage.

“Hello good people of Indianapolis! What a great city, great people,” Rich said to a number of cheers. “You all undoubtedly know how to treat others right, unlike _some_ people.”

Oh no. “Haha, yeah. Hello everyone!” Rob nervously chuckled into his microphone. That was worrying. He decided to skip over the usual banter he and Rich had on stage. “How about we get right to questions?”

“Alright then,” Rich said. He pointed to the line of people waiting to ask a question. “You.”

So far so good. Rob felt himself relax a little.

“Hi Rich, hi Rob,” said the woman at the microphone. She gave them a wink.

Rob looked at her closer; something was familiar about her.

“My question is for both of you. I was wondering what your favorite con moment was?” she asked with a smile.

Rob thought back to two nights ago, to karaoke, a blue dress, and an interrupted kiss. Then he placed her. That was one of the women who had caught them in the hallway! He couldn’t tell if Rich recognized her, but he supposed it really didn’t matter anyway. Her question was innocent enough.

“Well, I’ll tell you what _wasn’t_ my favorite con moment,” Rich immediately spoke up. “Waking up this morning, alone, with no one to help me. And no breakfast!”

The woman seemed almost upset at Rich’s answer. Rob quickly jumped in before Rich could say anything else. “And my favorite moment is the time I get to spend with all you awesome fans,” Rob said. The crowd clapped some and he turned to Rich. “Um, Rich, can I have a quick word please?”

“O-kay, just a second folks,” Rich said, holding up a finger to the audience.

Rob made sure the mics were off and went just behind the stage with Rich. “Rich! What is up with you?”

“What’s up with me?" Rich exclaimed. "I’m not the one that walked out on the other after what was a wonderful night. And left me without any wearable pants!”

Rob frowned. “But, I thought- I thought you would be done with me after your heat. I didn’t know you’d still want me around.”

Rich’s face softened. “No Rob, that’s not-” he sighed. “Look, let’s finish the panel, the fans are waiting. Afterwards, we really need to sit down and figure all this out, okay?”

“All right,” Rob agreed. Hopefully he could finally get his head straight. Rich offered him a small smile, and they went back onstage to finish the panel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there might be one chapter left, but I'm not entirely sure yet. Will leave that question mark up for now :)


	7. Everything's Gonna Be Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rob and Rich FINALLY talk things out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mention Rich's third ex-wife in this, and if you're wondering, I just made up her name. You didn't miss anything in Kings of Con lol

All of Rich’s anger had faded away the moment Rob looked up at him with sad eyes and said those untrue words. Of course he still wanted Rob with him- he wasn’t using him or anything! He was now more determined than ever to clear out everything between them. These miscommunications had to end, and without the threat of a looming heat he should be able to stay calm through a conversation.

Rich acted normally for the rest of the panel, or as close to normal as he could. He noticed that Rob seemed a little more nervous than usual, but still made it through okay. At least the audience seemed to enjoy it after the shaky beginning.

They finished the panel to applause, and Matt’s greeting of “Later losers,” broke the tension somewhat as they switched places with him backstage.

Rich flipped him off, but his heart wasn’t in it. He then turned to Rob, deciding to get right to the point. “So, ready for that talk?”

“Now?” Rob replied, his eyes going wide.

“We have hours until our autographs. We need to stop putting this off,” he said, trying not to sound too forceful. For a second Rich thought Rob was going to make up some excuse and run away again, but he nodded.

That thought made Rich hesitate. Before they went any further, he had to make sure that Rob would stay. “Actually Rob, before we have this talk, can you promise me one thing?”

Rob looked at Rich a little apprehensively. “Yeah. What is it?”

“Just, hear me out this time? Please don’t leave again,” he said, his voice breaking a little.

“Rich, I- yes, of course," Rob assured, frowning slightly.

“Good.” Rich composed himself, thinking about where they should have the conversation. He didn’t want to go to either of their hotel rooms, and the green room would be busy. Also, he needed a drink. “I was thinking we could talk at the bar. It should be empty now.”

Rob agreed. Apparently, he also didn’t care that it was still early in the afternoon. They left the backstage area and headed to the bar, Rich now feeling a lot more hopeful about the situation.

***

Rob was prepared to promise Rich anything in the world when he asked him, but his heart broke when he asked him not to leave. Rich had looked so hurt, and  _ he  _ had hurt him, even if it wasn’t intentional. At that moment, Rob decided that he never wanted to see him like that again. He followed Rich to the bar, determined to see the conversation through to the end.

The bar was empty when they arrived, just as they had thought, with only a couple people sitting at the breakfast area nearby. They both took a seat at the barstools and ordered whiskeys, charging them to their rooms. The bartender quickly poured their drinks before turning back to the car race that was on the TV behind the bar. Rob took a sip of his drink then started to talk, but stopped as Rich spoke up as well.

“Please, me first,” Rob said after a brief silence. He needed to apologize before anything else.

“Okay.” Rich motioned his hand to let Rob proceed.

Rob set his drink down and turned to Rich. “I’m sorry for leaving you this morning,” he said. “I- I just started having all these self-doubts and- it was a shitty thing to do. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, Rob,” Rich replied sincerely. After a moment he continued, “I have to apologize too. I shouldn’t have basically forced you to help with my heat. It wasn’t right of me to make you choose like that.”

“No, I wanted to help. Believe me, I really did.” Rob paused for a second as Rich snorted and took a drink. There was still one thing he needed to make sure of. “So you weren’t just using me to get through your heat?”

Rich let out a frustrated sigh. “No, Rob. First off, I liked you way before my heat started. It can’t make up feelings that aren’t there, it just... sped things up. Besides,” he smiled warmly at Rob, “who wouldn’t want to be with you?”

Rob had felt his face grow hot at those words, but then Rich asked that question and his mind provided an immediate answer.  _ Marney. _ He finished his drink and got another from the bartender as Rich sipped on his. Maybe it was time to confess what exactly happened with her. “Rich, I think I should tell you a little more about me and Marney. You should probably know.”

Rich turned to face him. “I agree, Robbie. Go ahead.”

Steeling himself, Rob took a deep breath and started. “When I first got with her, well, she was kind of enthralled with the whole actor thing. I guess she thought I would be some movie star Alpha or something. It was actually going well then. I was in love, you know?”

Rob stopped to take another drink and saw Rich nodding at him. He continued, “But then the acting roles started drying up. I started doing the conventions, and well, it didn’t really match her idea of an Alpha job. She saw the goofy photo ops, karaoke, juggling, and so on, and would say I was hardly an Alpha. One time she asked if I even had a knot.”

“The nerve!” Rich shook his head.

Rob gave him a weak smile and continued. “Then my anxiety started getting worse, I didn’t want to stop going to cons! But I didn’t want to lose Marney, either. It basically culminated in that day you came to pick me up.”

Rich turned and grabbed Rob’s shoulders, staring into his eyes. “Rob, listen to me. You deserve so much more than that. First off, yes, you very much do have a knot. An extremely enjoyable one, I might add.”

“Rich!” Rob exclaimed. They were in public! However, he glanced around and saw the bar was still empty and the bartender was engrossed with the TV.

“But also,” Rich continued, ignoring his outburst. “You are kind, and funny, and smart, and your smile can light up a room. You cheer up anyone who’s having a bad day and you offer your help to whoever needs it… That’s an Alpha if I’ve ever seen one.”

Rob’s heart rate sped up and it felt like his brain had stopped working. He wasn’t sure how to react to those words. Did Rich really think that? “I- Rich, that’s-”

“You know, something similar happened to me,” Rich spoke up before Rob could flounder anymore. He removed his hands from Rob’s shoulders and took a drink before continuing. “My first two marriages I was just young and stupid, rushing into things. They weren’t ever going to work. But my last one…”

Rob welcomed the change of topic, able to recover from Rich’s earlier comments. “I think you were still with her when we first met. Valerie, right?” He knew that Rich was married when they started their friendship, but he had never met his wife. They were divorced shortly after.

“Yeah,  _ Val _ ,” Rich scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I thought she was the one. She was an Alpha and it was pretty great, but then it started to fall apart.”

He looked down at the glass in his hand, moving the liquid around a bit. “First, she told me to not take suppressants, which I admit I didn’t think was that big of a deal to begin with. But if a heat of mine happened to fall during a convention, I had to skip it to stay at home with her."

Rob stayed silent, taking in Rich's words.

"Then she started complaining about me even being at the cons," he continued. "She'd say that no one else should be with  _ her  _ Omega, that I was only for her. I offered to let her come with me, to show her that everything that happened was strictly professional, but she thought that wasn’t enough. She told me I had to stop going.”

Rich stopped messing with the glass and turned back to Rob. “And that was it. I had to leave.”

Rob had felt himself growing more and more upset throughout Rich’s story. “That’s terrible, Rich! I had no idea... No one should stop you from doing your job. I would  _ never  _ stop you from doing what you wanted.”

Rich looked at him pointedly. “The same goes for you, Robbie. No one should expect you to be someone that you’re not.” 

“O-oh.” That had stopped him in his tracks. Rob couldn’t think that himself, but coming from Rich he’d believe it. Not able to help himself, he reached out his arms and tugged him into a hug. He felt Rich return it, holding him tightly against his chest. Wanting to bury himself in Rich’s scent, he breathed in deeply, but all he could smell was the hotel body wash. 

“I really wish we weren’t using scent blockers right now,” he muttered into Rich’s shoulder.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Rich chuckled as he pulled away. He then reached for one of Rob’s hands.

Rob smiled, taking Rich’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. He never wanted to let go.

“So, now that we got all of that sorted,” Rich started, returning the smile. “Do you want to try this relationship out?”

Did he? He looked at Rich’s slightly hopeful grin and the answer was clear. “Yes! God, yes, Rich. I promise I’ll try to not freak out so much. And to not worry about how much of an Alpha I am.”

Rich’s face lit up and he leaned forward to press a light kiss against Rob’s lips. Rob was surprised at first, but returned it, not even caring who might see them.

“And I’ll try to be patient. And not spring any more surprise heats on you,” Rich said after pulling away.

Rob thought about saying he wouldn’t mind that, but decided it may not be the best idea. Instead, he ran his thumb up and down Rich’s hand as they turned back to their drinks, just content to take in the fact that they were now a couple. They were dating! Rich was his boyfriend! Maybe things had happened a little out of order, but everything should be okay now. 

As he thought about the whirlwind past few days he had had, a question came to Rob. “You know, why did your heat start early anyways?”

Rich flushed, and he knocked back the rest of his whiskey before answering. “Well, I’m not sure, but I had one idea… I was thinking that it was you.”

“What do you mean?” Rob replied. He hadn’t done anything to Rich!

“Well, when I scented you for the first time, just you. They say certain people are just made for each other.” He shrugged.

“What, like true mates?” Rob couldn’t help but laugh. “Rich, this isn’t some fairytale fanfiction. That doesn’t happen in real life.”

“Then our pheromones or whatever just match really well! It’s biology, you can’t argue with that. Has anyone else’s scent ever affected you so much?”

Rob had to admit that made some sense. Marney’s scent was pleasant but was nothing like Rich’s. And it couldn’t be an Omega thing either; he had hardly noticed Chip’s scent. “Now that you mention it, no.”

“And it’s the same for me. If you don’t like the ‘true mates’ thing,” he air quoted with his free hand, “we can say that we just go together well, and that kicked my hormones into overdrive.”

Maybe Rich was on to something, but Rob didn't want to put too much faith in the theory. “Well, that sounds incredible, really, but we don’t have to move straight to mating or anything. We could step back a bit, go on some dates maybe.”

“I’d like that,” Rich said fondly. They sat there in comfortable silence for a while, then Rich spoke up, raising his eyebrows. “You wanna have a quickie before we get back to work?”

“Oh, one hundred percent, yes,” Rob answered without hesitation.

They both sprung up from their seats and nearly ran out of the bar, hands still clasped together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Thanks for reading :) I hope you had fun, I know I did XD


End file.
